Safe Again
by SafeAgain
Summary: Summary : Endor. After the Emperor's death and before the Death Star explosion, Vader and Luke are rescued by a small Imperial team. Who decide that the safest place for them to go is none other than Emperor Palpatine's homeplanet… Naboo. Meanwhile, Luke'
1. Chapter 1

Summary : Endor. After the Emperor's death and before the Death Star explosion, Vader and Luke are rescued by a small Imperial team. Who decide that the safest place for them to go is none other than Emperor Palpatine's home-planet… Naboo. Meanwhile, Luke's father has a decison to take : would he rather remain Darth Vader, or try and become Anakin Skywalker again ?

Disclaimer : The characters and locations all belong to George Lucas, but for a couple of original characters who will be introduced in the following chapters. This fic has been written for F.U.N., not €, so please don't sue ! The whole prologue sort of belongs to George Lucas as well, since it's an interpretation of a RotJ scene. The words are mine, though.

_**Prologue**_

It was unbearable. The sight of his son screaming and convulsing was more than he could stand. And the Emperor was there, grinning evily, obviously relishing Luke's pain.

It was wrong. Giving pain to people so that he could obtain what they had was one thing, but giving pain for the mere sake of hearing someone screaming… It _felt_ wrong. If he stopped and thought about it for a while, he'd realize that Palpatine's actions were not different from his own of the past twenty-three years. He was a monster.

He was alternately looking at his son and at his son's torturer. One was his master, his mentor, the man he'd been loyal to for more than half his life. The other was a fruit fallen from the other half of his life, a child of another time. Padmé's child.

The decision was a tough one. Order, or passion ? What would his life be if he aknowledged the idea that he'd been no more than an evil monster for the past twenty years ?

'Father, please !'

Luke was screaming and begging. Vader could not decide if he was holding out his hand for his father to take, or just out of a reflex reaction to the pain. But why would he be calling his father ? Vader had never done anything for him but bring him pain.

Pain. He could feel Luke's pain within each one of his bones, just the way he'd felt Luke's pain in Cloud City. And just the way he'd felt Princess Leia's pain on the first Death Star, now that he thought about it. But at the time, he had… enjoyed the feeling. Leia would kill him if she heard he had enjoyed Luke's pain.

Wait a minute. _Leia_ was his daughter ? As in the Alderaani princess ? The one that acted so much like Padmé ?

He glanced one last time at the Emperor, but his decision had been taken. He could not, he _would not_ let his children be destroyed. For one thing, they brought hope to the Galaxy. But what made his decision so definitive was that they were all that was left of Padmé.

A last look at a screaming Luke strengthened his will. He acted all of a sudden. He turned away abruptly towards the Emperor, seized the Sith, and held him high above his head.

Pain. The pain he felt was not Luke's anymore, but his own, and he could not block it in his weakened state. It felt like a sand storm, quick, powerful, destructive. His whole body protested when the blue lightening hit his armor and breather. He groaned, unable as he was to scream anymore. He focused on the task at hand, on the abyss right before him, the shaft where the Galactic Emperor would soon meet his death. _It's a shame he won't suffer as much as his victims have,_ Vader mused. Had he had the time and power needed, he'd have made the despot scream his guts out. And he did think that Palpatine deserved as much.

As it happened, this project would never be realized. Darth Vader straightened as much as he could, and released his master in the endless pit. The despot fell, bolts of blue light still escaping his fingers, all the while sending Vader all his hate through the Force. If curses could kill, the Death Star would have blown up at that very moment.

The explosion that followed hypnotized him. A wind of pure darkness blew past him, engulfing him an instant in its hate and despair. He was shocked. All the more so shocked as none of those feelings were alien to him. He'd felt them all along those past twenty-three years. The Dark Side… It was himself.

Drained, scared, and confused, he suddendly wished for darkness to take him as well. He briefly considered jumping down after the Emperor, then he heard something moving behind him. Luke ! His son could move ! The boy would be okay…

Luke's hands drove him away from the pit. Vader fell back on the floor by his son's side, sqeezing the boy's hand softly when it slid in his own. Unable to find the words to express his feelings, he shyly touched Luke's mind through the Force, asking him how he was, showing how himself felt. _You've got to get out of here, Luke._ The boy opened up after that, expressing his gratitude, but also his pain and exhaustion. He felt the hand in his release its feeble grasp, heard the soft thump on the floor, and felt his son's thoughts shut off.

Luke had fainted.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer : GL's characters, GL's universe. Sagan is mine, and Devs belongs to the Empire (the idiot :- ). Is that disclaimer clear enough ?

**Safe Again : Chapter 1**

**D.S. II**

Captain Shon Devs was not a happy man. He had always been proud to claim he belonged to the Empire, because its army was great and ordered. Ordered! It was everything but ordered now. Ever since the shields had been blown up, men had started panicking. Then there had been explosions, and the alarm bells had rung – and soon the situation had been completely out of hands. The corridors were overwhelmed with running people, some of them holding a package, some others pushing everybody to be the first to leave. To be assured that, when they reached the hangar bay, there would still be a TIE Fighter, a shuttle, anything to fly them out of the doomed battle station.

The Death Star. The name was obsolete now;_ it should be the Dead Star_, Devs mused. Devs and his team were trying to make their way through the running crowd. It was difficult, since they were heading towards a place that was mainly being evacuated. Devs disapproved flatly the evacuation order. The soldiers of the Empire were brave men, and they should die as such. However, there was nothing to be done against those screaming bells now. And even Devs was realistic enough to realize that the men would have fled even without the bells.

Fear. The men were afraid. The soldiers of the Empire were never afraid –- or so Devs had thought. The Empire being beaten up by the Rebellion was against anything Devs could have imagined, but the Imperial soldiers being afraid was one of the few things he had considered as being completely impossible. That -– along with the Emperor's death.

Shone Devs had tried once to imagine what the Empire would be without Emperor Palpatine. He had given up very quickly, coming to the conclusion that without Palpatine, there would be no Empire at all. In fact, he had refused to aknowledge the awful thought that had crossed his mind. The thought that, if anywthing were to happen to his Emperor, Darth Vader would be the next ruler of the Galaxy.

The thought was disgusting. The man was not even human, Devs had heard. A friend of his from the Intelligence had once had access to Vader's 'black-deathed' file, and discovered that there was something abnormal in his blood. Only half-human, the tests had revealed. Devs was not one to obey a piece of non-human. The main reason why he had asked to be tranfered to the Death Star was because it meant he would not have to follow any of Vader's orders. The Death Star was the only part of the fleet that was not under Vader's command. Devs could not imagine what his life would be after the Death Star was destroyed.

'Look, Sir! The Royal Guards have left!'

Lost in his thoughts, Devs had not realized that he and his team had almost reached the throne room, their destination. They had come to bring the Empror to safety. It just seemed that they were too late. The Royal Guards had already taken care of the Emperor. Relief flooded through Devs. 'Let's check this room while we're here anyway.'

The young lieutnant, the one who had awoken Devs from his reverie, nodded. Weis Sagan had been Devs' second-in-command for less than two months, and the two men already hated each other passionately. Sagan was not as an observer of the Order as Devs was, and his loyalties were doubtful. Devs had had to point his blaster on Sagan's head to convince him to bring the team and check on the Emperor. He even highly suspected the young man had accepted to come and bring the troops because _Vader_ had been reported to be with the Emperor.

Sagan and his four men followed Devs in the elevator. The all of them were nervous; they were afraid that the Emperor would still be there and very unpleased by their apparition. The Emperor was not exactly well-known for his indulgence.

Those five men were not really afraid of not reaching the hangar bay on time. They didn't want to die, no. Most of them had families they did not want to leave. But they had accepted their fate. Ever since Devs had put his blaster on Sagan's head, they had understood that they had no way out of this 'mission'.

The doors opened. There was no Royal Guard inside the room either. Whatever had happened, the Emperor wasn't there anymore. Though a repetitive sound could be heard. It had nothing to do with the sounds of the explosions, it was something else… A breather. Lord Vader was somewhere in this room.

'Let's get back, there's nothing here.'

Sagan glared angrily at Devs. The Captain had heard Vader's breather as well, Sagan just knew it. He had also heard that the sound was different from the usual one. This might explain why Vader could not be seen. Sagan and three of the men started climbing up the stairs. The one named Sperks remained downstairs with Devs.

They saw him before they reached the end of the stairs. He was lying on the floor, a young man lying by his side. His right hand had been cut off, and some of its electronics components could be seen. He did not move when the four men went up, nor did the young man. The breather sounded even weaker than it did from the elevator doors. The men were startled when they realized Vader was holding the boy's hand in his own.

'Lord Vader? Can you hear me?'

The man blinked slowly under his mask. Ever since Luke had fainted, he had tried to concentrate and gather enough strength to bring his son out of there. And ever since he had tried, he had failed. He had held Luke's hand in his own, trying to wake him up so he could leave this doomed place, but Luke wouldn't wake up; his father was afraid that he'd never do. Luke deserved to live. The more he thought about his son, the more he felt ashamed of himself. He kept trying to gather his strength, staring at the ceiling, oblivious to his surroundings.

'My Lord ?'

The man lying on the floor thought that there was no use ignoring the voice to keep his strength. He would never get Luke out of there by himself anyway. He focused on the four men, noticing in the back of his mind that there were two other men down the stairs.

'What are you doing here, Lieutnant?' he asked the closer man tiredly. The Lieutnant did not answer. He and another man helped Vader to his feet. Meanwhile, the two men downstairs had come to witness the scene.

'What of this one? Skywalker, isn't he? I think he should stay…'

'No.' He closed his eyes behind the mask. He hadn't felt the answer coming. It had gotten out of himself, a mere impulse he had obeyed. An impulse… Anakin had been an impulsive one. Did that mean anything?

He shook his head. He was no longer Darth Vader, that was for sure. Somehow he still was, and Vader would always be a part of him, but he didn't think the same way anymore. He wasn't led by the Dark Side, but by his own feelings. Like _before_. Still these feelings were what had led him to the Dark Side.

Would trying to become Anakin again be safe?

He focused back on the Captain. He didn't need to listen to him to know what he was saying: he wanted Luke to die on the Death Star. And he insisted a lot. The former Jedi felt the man did not respect him at all.

'Do not discuss, Captain,' he hissed in a tired but very Vader-like voice. He felt it was the only way to save Luke. Play the game; you're a Sith Lord.

It worked. With two men leading the way, two men helping Vader and the other two carrying Luke, they made their way down to the elevator. Once they were out, the black-clad man motioned for the two soldiers carrying Luke to go before him. He needed to see with his own eyes that his son was still alive. Having him at eyesight during the way through the Death Star corridors was a good start.

They stumbled several times along the corridors. Vader was weak; the boy was a dead weight. Devs was angry. The team could have walked much more quickly without the two of them. He was all the more so angry as he felt the Emperor had left the men behind on purpose. He held no doubt that Vader was a traitor. As for the other man, he was a Rebel. Devs could not understand why the Emperor had had them with him in the first place. He did not have to understand, though. His Emperor must have had his reasons.

He was weakening; he felt he was dying. He did not want to die yet, no. He had to see that his son was safe before. Luke would not be safe with those men if Vader died. Some of them would consider their leader had entrusted them with the young man, but their Captain would let him die; he had already wanted to leave the two Jedi on the doomed Death Star. Despite his weariness, the tall man could feel the Captain broadcasting his lethal thoughts. He had the feeling that at least _he_ deserved this hate and death, but his son did not. And Devs' reasons for hating were unfair. Just as the Emperor's had been. He felt deeply guilty he had needed so much time to come to realize that. So much time, and almost his son's life.

An explosion made the Death Star shake and he almost fell on the floor. But it was no time for being weak. They had at last reached the bay. There were still a couple of avaible shuttles, but for how long? Most of the men had not evacuated yet. _They are going to die because of the Empire. Oh Padmé, how I was wrong!_

'Take this one.'

The team ran to the shuttle Vader had nodded at. Even Devs felt the Dark Lord knew what he was talking about. Every explosion was stronger than the previous one. They had no time to waste. That was why Devs said nothing when he noticed the shuttle wore the Emperor's seal.

Vader was a damned traitor.

He was still under the shock of the Emperor's disappearance when the Death Star exploded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Safe Again : Chapter 2**

**Flight**

'We will reach Naboo within the next two hours, My Lord.'

'Naboo ?' Vader's blue eyes popped wide open. Sagan would swear there was fear in those eyes, but he knew better than stating that out loud. 'Why Naboo?'

_What is it about Naboo that frightens you so much, My Lord?_

Vader screwed his eyes; he had 'heard' that.

'You and your young protégé need to get more medical care than this shuttle can provide, Lord Vader. And you must understand that, now that the Emperor is dead,' Sagan's eyes shone slightly at those words '…an Imperial shuttle might not be welcome everywhere. It is very likely to be most unwelcome on the closest planets, actually. Captain Devs reckons that Emperor Palpatine's home-world will welcome us, though. I think… he even expects the Emperor will be there.'

'The Emperor won't be anywhere anymore,' was the mumbled answer. 'You said yourself he was dead.'

'But one cannot live without hope, My Lord.'

Vader smiled bitterly and closed his blue eyes. It was very strange, Sagan thought. As Vader's breather only half-worked, they had taken his helmet and mask off, and given him a pure oxygen mask. Now that the Dark Lord's scarred face was exposed, Sagan no longer saw Darth Vader lying on the cot. What he could see was a man. And he could see his eyes, light blue eyes that hid nothing of the turmoil of his feelings. Very strange.

Vader opened his eyes and turned weakly his head towards Luke's limp form. His son still hadn't woken up yet, and he was afraid that the boy had slid into coma. Though they could not tell, as the shuttle medical equipement wasn't good enough. Would the Naboo help him? Would they see him as Padmé's son, or as his?

'You don't think the Naboo appreciate the Empire, do you?' Sagan asked suddendly.

Vader smiled slightly. 'I don't think _you_ appreciate the Empire, Lieutnant. Or do you?'

Sagan smiled and nodded. 'I am on principle opposed to slavery.' Vader flinched. The Lieutnant saw that and his features hardened. 'I thought that you were opposed to slavery yourself?' he asked with his driest voice. Vader closed his eyes once more. Sagan knew the man was tired, but he felt Vader just wanted to avoid his question now. 'I really thought you were different about that, Vader. With being half non-human and all…'

'What makes you think I am half non-human?'

'That's the reason why Devs hates you so much.' Still angry, Sagan smirked. 'Don't tell me you didn't know?'

Vader just shrugged. 'He can read my file and he still heads for Naboo. Must have suicidal tendencies.' He turned his back to Sagan, making clear that he did not want to talk anymore. The young man turned around to leave, deciding to ask Devs what exactly he knew about Darth Vader.

'Lieutnant…'

Sagan stopped on the threshold.

'This boy is the son of a late Naboo queen. Make sure that Devs knows he better be alive when we reach Theed.'

'What a piece of luck,' mumbled Sagan as he left.

Anakin sighed and snuggled deeper under the blankets. He would need all of his strength once on Naboo.

'Imperial Shuttle IP485-259, requires permission to land. We have two injured men on board, in need of a strong medical attention.'

Rem could feel Vader standing behind him, and that didn't make him feel any better.

'Imperial shuttle, this is the Sunrise. You don't have the permission to land. If you insist, we will have to open fire.'

He knew that voice… Even after all those years, he could recognize it. Vader motioned for the co-pilot to leave his seat and took his place.

'Olié, Luke is hurt.'

A pause on the other ship. On the shuttle, the soldiers exchanged startled glances.

'As long as he is on an Imperial shuttle, I don't care.'

Anakin insisted. 'He is in coma, Ric.'

'Too bad. Then I guess you'll just have to look for an apprentice somewhere else…'

The mockery he could hear made Vader explode. 'Damnit Olié, if I just wanted an apprentice, I would not be wasting my time right now but hunting down his sister!'

The communication was cut off. Vader guessed Olié was asking for orders. When the connection was restablished, another voice could be heard. A feminine voice, talking with a proud accent.

'There is no way we can allow this shuttle to land on Naboo. The men on board will be tranfered into one of our shuttles, which will head directly for a medical center. You must let all your weapons on your shuttle. If one of you disobeys, we will have no choice but open fire.'

Vader sighed in relief. 'Thank you, Sabé.'

The voice suddendly went colder. 'As for _you_, you are under arrest for high treason. And if anyone sees that face of yours during the festivities, I swear I will personally kill you with my bare hands. Very slowly.'

A small smile escaped Anakin. 'I expected no less of you. What of the men on board the shuttle?'

'_They_ are not under Naboo law. They will be free of their movements, that is until they break a rule on world.'

'And what of Luke?'

'He will be healed.' A pause. 'He doesn't know, does he?'

'About his mother? No, he doesn't.'

He knew that Vader was his father. That was everything Sabé feared to hear. 'Let's make it clear. If anyone is to tell him anything, it will not be you. Copy?'

Anakin smirked. 'And I supposed I will be put under arrest if I refuse to cooperate.'

Sabé's voice got angry. 'I meant: no mental talk. Or whatever you call it. Prepare yourselves to be tranfered now. Sunrise out.'

The shuttle cockpit remained silent until Vader got up to leave.

'Care to explain us?' Rem asked.

Vader shrugged. 'Buy a history book when you are on world.'

'Which chapter?' scoffed one of the men. ''How do you betray a whole planet?''

Vader stiffened. 'Wrong guess.' _Check at 'How do you go downwards when you've lost all your life.'_

He left. He knew Sabé would never allow him anywhere near Luke, and he wanted to spend some time with his son before that. He sat down by his child's bedside, determined to remain there until the arrival of the Naboo.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

**Safe Again: Chapter 3**

**Meeting One's Past**

Sabé was fumming. How _dared_ he to come back? The bastard was responsible for the slaughter of thousands of people, among them Padmé; he had betrayed his friends and killed Obi-Wan –- and now he was back and asking for help! How _dared_ he?

She had really wished Vader had been on the Death Star when it had exploded. The feelings she nurtured for the man were beyond loathing, and besides, she sincerly saw his death as a good occuring for the common good of the Galaxy. Now, she just hoped that at least Palpatine had been there. Dealing with Vader's wrath was something she was not looking forward to, but Palpatine's… That was definitely lethal. If the Emperor ever learnt that the Naboo had been celebrating his supposed death… He would not have the world blown up, no –- he cared too much about what people would say if he was to destroy his own home-planet –- but he would make them pay a very high price. She shivered.

Now, Vader would not be there if his master was still alive, would he? That had to mean something had really happened to the former Naboo senator. Humpf. The only way to get sure of it was to ask Vader.

She had received a call effectively announcing that the shuttle had landed, and that Vader had been placed under arrest at the hospital. The boy was there as well, being treated for great trauma, but the other Imperials were loose in Theed. She would pay attention to that later. For now, she had to talk to Vader. A Vader that was no longer wearing his mask, she had been told. She thanked the Force that no one had recognized Anakin Skywalker yet.

She threw open the door to Vader's room and stormed inside, her glare including the object of her anger as well as the guards and medic present. 'I want to talk to him alone -– now.'

'Lady Sabé…' The medic had a worried frown on his face.

'He can breathe and talk, can't he?'

'But are you sure it is safe –- for you?'

She glared at Vader again and cut off the guard. 'Thank you for your concern, but I stronly believe he is in no position to threaten anyone. Now get out. All of you.'

The men reluctantly left the room and she was left alone with Vader. She came closer to him, and stared at him for a long while. Pale, scarred, with dark circles under his eyes, his face was nothing similar to the one she remembered. His skull was completely bald -– shaved? A thin oxygen mask was covering his mouth and nose. He really looked nothing like the bright young man Senator Amidala had fallen in love with. Good. No one would recognize him.

'I hope this reassures you,' said a tired voice. She clenched her fists, angry at herself for she had somehow dropped her defenses.

'You mucky, filthy, blasted, mechanic pice of trash! You really _had_ to come back _here_ now! You walking tin-can, you misshapen…'

'.. treacherous murderer?' Anakin suggested in a dry voice. Sabé tensed.

'I was going to say that one eventually. Why, you monster. You had no right to come back. You…' Her voice broke, and she found herself pacing the room angrily. 'After everything you did, after all these slaughters, all these injustices _you_ committed, you think you can just fly back and ask for help and actually _get what you want_! Just because Luke is with you? He. Is. No. Hostage. Of. Yours! And Padmé… She loved you, you prick, she really did; and you just dumped her the way you killed all these people: casually! As if they all deserved what you did to them! Who on Kessel do you think you are?'

Was it just an effect of the light, or had Vader actually smiled at her last question?

She resumed talking in a lower, but no less dangerous voice. 'I am going to kill you. You should have died a long time ago. I can't believe someone was actually stupid enough to heal you. They should have let you die before you killed all those people…' Her voice broke. That was the moment Vader chose to open his eyes. Ice blue eyes. Ani's eyes.

'The Emperor had me healed _because_ he wanted me to kill, Sabé,' he said quitely.

'Well, you didn't complain, did you!'

'I didn't.' He sighed, and for the first time, Sabé noticed how sad he looked.

'What is it with you? Your beloved master is at last dead?'

He eyed her curiously. 'He is indeed. You thought he was still alive?'

Sabé snorted. '_You_ are still alive, and that's too bad. Now he isn't, and good riddance. You know, _this_ is the moment when you should join him. Traitor.'

'How is Luke?'

'_Do not change the subject!_'

Had the situation been different, Anakin would have probably laughed. Sabé had always had a strong temper, and once, her tantraums had amused him. Not this time, though. Not when the reason of her anger was that serious, not when her anger blinded her to the point that she was oblivious to love.

'How is my son, Sabé?'

She looked lost. She was breathing frantically, her eyes blurred, her fists clenched tight. Moreover, she was shaking. Anakin reckoned she was at last trying to calm down.

'You were so angry at me that you did not even enquire about his health, did you?' he asked bitterly.

'Now don't you _dare_ telling me what you think what I did was wrong when _everything_ you did these past twenty years was evil!'

'I did not realize what I was doing was wrong. You, on the other hand, know that losing your temper won't make any good.'

'You didn't know what you were doing was evil? And you seriously want me to believe that? How thick do you think I am?'

'I knew it was evil, but I though it was serving a greater aim, Sabé! I thought that bringing back order was worth all those deaths!'

'Nothing is worth all those deaths, _Darth_. Nothing is worth those tortures and those pains.'

'I know it now.'

'Then now, you tell me: how do you plan to make up for those?'

He sighed deeply. 'I don't plan to. I can't.'

Sabé got even angrier. 'Then what do you want?'

Anakin's eyelids hid his eyes again. 'I want to see Padmé's grave, Sabé. And I want to see that our children are happy.'

That was quite an unexpected answer. One that sounded like Anakin. 'Who are you?' hissed Sabé.

_Who am I? You tell me._

He hadn't meant to say that out loud. Identity was a concept he felt was above him now. But letting her know that was acting out of weakness; and he wanted no one to think he was weak. Weak people were not respected.

That was Vader thinking again. Vader's ways of thinking and existing had been his for so long that he doubted he would ever be able to change.

'You are a lie. Just die, Vader. Kill yourself. Then, your children shall be happy.'

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

**Interlude**

Recollections

_It had been a beautiful day. The sun had been shining, the cliff had been just the good height, and he had felt at peace for the very first time in weeks. _

_The decision had not been an easy one to take, but he had felt it was for the best. Others could go on without him. Life would go on without him. He would not let himself fall._

_Then Obi-Wan had come. His friend and he had talked and laughed, and suddendly it was all over. Obi-Wan had guessed. He had attacked, lost his temper, and Anakin had known he could not let Obi-Wan take the way he had himself taken. _

_They had fought, and it had been hard. One of them had wanted to kill the other; the latter had not wanted his master to kill in anger. Though they had both wanted to fight the dark, both had come to use it in the end._

_And Darkness had won._

_Both of them had died that day, somehow. Both of them had lost hope and innocence. But it was not too late for one of them._

_The fight had been strong, and psychologically more painful than anything they had ever known. Losing a parent was hard. Witnessing your brother lose his soul was even worse. Especially when they had both felt at fault._

_Anakin had not wanted to hurt his master, but he had. Only he had hurt Obi-Wan in his soul. And years later, he had killed him. A sweet revenge, he had thought at the time. Now he saw it more as an unforgivable mistake._

_That day on Naboo, Anakin Skywalker had died. He had not killed himself the way he had wanted to, because Obi-Wan had been there and he had wanted to spend some time with his friend. Obi-Wan had almost fallen, but unlike Anakin, he had been strong enough to come back to the Light._

_Falling to the Dark Side had been his choice more than his destiny. He saw it now. He had wanted to decide what to do with his life, he had wanted to choose the way he would help the Galaxy to get better. It had been a conscious choice, not one made out of despair. The final fall had been his. Fate was an artificial concept._

_He had chosen to use Darkness even when Obi-Wan had been using Light. He had chosen revenge over forgiveness, others' deaths over his own. He had no choice but to face the consequences._

_Feeling guilty was just the first step._

_Redemption was still out of reach._

_Hoping was not an option._

_Then what was left ?_

You have to live.

_But I need help!_

You will get help in time. Keep your heart open. Light has never left you.

TBC…

Those of you who haven't read the A/N might want to read the second paragraph; it explains what exactly is going on here.

PS: Skippygum, if you ever open that fic, then know that I am not at all who you may think I am. 'S not me, really! Or, erm, maybe it's me, but, err, I'm under the influence of ze Chemise Verte (de la mort qui tue). Tu parles à qui que ce soit IRL de cette fic, et ses pouvoirs psycho-tueurs vont s'abattre sur toi. Capice ? Booon… regard mauvais


	6. Chapter 6

**Safe Again: Chapter 4**

**Force**

They still had to hear from her brother. Although she _knew_, somehow, that he was still alive, she could not help but worry. Last time she had 'felt' him, he had been in pain. Such a pain that it had made her lose contact with her own surroundings long enough to get shot. But she still kept some hope: right after that, all Darkness was gone.

It was a strange experience, really. During the past couple of hours, she had come to realize that all the strange feelings she'd had since she was a girl were real; they came from that flow of energy know as the Force. Ever since she was a young Alderaani princess, she had in a way _known_ whether the people she cared about were safe or in pain. She had always had a thing for 'hearing' others' strong feelings. She had once attributed it to her feminine intuition; unfortunately, now that she knew it was something else, she no longer managed to interpret was those sensations meant.

What had happened to her brother? He had told her he was to try and get Vader back "to the good side". Had he succeeded? Was it why the Darkness was gone? But why had she felt so much pain? Perhaps that was not Luke's pain she had felt after all, but… _his_… right before _he_'d died?

She was scared. Scared to lose her only living family right after she had found him. She wondered if he had done the right thing, telling her they were siblings. Because if she was to lose him now, knowing who he really was would only make things worse.

"Sweetheart?"

She turned around to put her arms around her love. "Has anyone heard from Luke yet?"

A pause. "No. Leia, if he was on that thing when it exploded…"

"He wasn't. Don't say that. He can't…" Her voice broke. "I can't lose him, Han."

She felt him nod against her hair. "You love him. Don't you?"

She said nothing. She was shivering in his arms, desperately trying to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry Princess. I should have know. I shouldn't have…"

"Han, what are you talking about?" She looked up at him and he saw her tear-rimmed eyes. He brushed her cheek softly with his thumb, looking even more awkward than he'd had at Jabba's, when he was blind.

"I shouldn't have gotten in your way. I'm sorry, Leia."

She stared at him for a long while before understanding came. She burried her face in his chest and sighed softly.

"He is my brother, Han."

"He's your _what_?"

She smiled sadly. "You heard me. My brother. And I didn't know. We didn't even _know_…"

She broke down at last. He held her tightly, patting her head in what he hoped was a reassuring way. "They say many shuttles fled the Death Star before the explosion. Hopefully, he was in one of them…"

She managed to nod. "I'm sure he was, but in what condition? He's been in so much pain… Why isn't he back yet? What's happened to him?"

All around them, people were happy. Soldiers were singing, Ewoks were yubbing in joy. Somewhere among the stars, Anakin Skywalker was looking on his son, wondering how he had been able to cause so much pain to the children of his love.

On that Endor moon, night was falling. The fires lit up among the trees gave the impression that Darkness was being chased away once more. Leia and Han did not join the celebrations. When their friend Lando came to find them and noticed Luke Skywalker's absence, he just sat down by the couple's side.

Some people would say that a friend's life was a price worth paying for a victory.

The end of a war certainly does not always mean the end of suffering. And what they had won was just a battle.

"I'm sure he is still alive, Han," Leia whispered at last. "And I swear I will find him." _I also swear Vader will pay._

She was in pain. The woman in his dream, she was in pain. Tortured, probably. But there was more. Her suffering was deeper. She was afraid, apparently. Afraid that she would die without knowing what the little boy with the laughing blue eyes had become. Who was she? There was something oddly familiar with her. She was looking… She was looking a bit like Leia. She was trying to tell him something. _I love…_ I love you? Who was she talking to?

She took her last breath. That was it, she had died in his arms. His own pain was terrible. It was too much to bear. So he did the only thing he could think of. He destroyed those who had done that.

A different place, a different time. The fear was similar, though. Someone wanted to destroy one he cared for. There was hardly any light again. As if the suns refused to witness such a scene. He would not let… Obi-Wan? …die as his mother had. Was it Obi-Wan? He looked so young! But his presence… It was him all right, but different. Less sad. Less bitter. He had not realized that Obi-Wan was a sad and bitter man before.

He jumped. He ignored his own pain and jumped to save his friend, his father. The blow was deflected. He started fighting. He was too slow, hurting too much. He did not see the blade. And a tearing pain went right through his arm.

Now _that_ was familiar. The cry of anguish, the smell of burnt flesh. He fell to the floor.

Was it over yet? He could not stand any more pain, not now. But he could not die. He didn't know if _she_ was alright.

She had fallen off the ship. He had wanted to come to her help, but instead he had come to understand that this was not what she wanted him to do. He had to keep on, for her.

It was not all dark anymore. There were flashes of light here and there. Some kind of a strange danced fight. Then he saw something dark and huge falling towards him, and…

… And he realized the dream was not his.

He felt a hand brushing away a strand of his hair, and he opened his eyes. A woman was standing above him. She too looked somehow familiar. She too looked a bit like Leia, but in a different way. He could see a bit of himself in her face as well. Was she…?

"Mother?"

_TBC? _


	7. Chapter 7

Safe Again Chapter 7

I am not your mother. The woman gave Luke a strange, bittersweet smile. The young Jedi blinked slowly and tried to focus on her face.

"Oh." Now that he looked at her more carefully, Luke could see the differences between her face and that of the woman in his dreams. Plus, the latter's eyes had been more…deciding. In any case, the resemblance was astounding. "Are you her sister?"

Sabé chuckled. "No I am not. I do look a lot like her, don't I?"

Luke nodded slowly, carefully, his eyes never leaving hers. "Who are you?"

"I'd rather answer your questions later. Now, Luke, I want you to answer mine."

There was also a coldness in her voice that Luke was sure hadn't been in his mother's. The woman was strange. He could feel waves of very contradictory feelings emanating from her, and her presence held both a familiarity and an alienation he did not manage to decipher. The woman shifted in her seat and started asking questions.

"Do you know where you are, and how you ended up here?"

Luke stared. "I meant to ask you that…"

Sabé ignored his comment, but Luke thought he felt a flash of something from her. Anger? He must be wrong…Where would it come from?

"What is your relationship with Darth Vader?"

A long pause. Luke was starting to think he may have been right when he felt anger from her. If she knew the truth…

…But she didn't, did she? How would she know? It would be so much easier to understand the woman and figure out what she wanted if only Luke knew how she was related to his mother. However, he did not even know her name, so…

Luke decided that there was a chance his mother's look-alike was aware of his true heritage, but that there was also a chance she was not. And as long as he didn't know whose side she was on, he would have to be careful not to let any sensitive information slip. "I'm not sure I understand your question…" He eventually answered. Sabé's eye twitched.

"Do you work with him? Do you share his ideals? What are your feelings for him?"

Luke blinked slowly as he tried to process the motivations behind the woman's harsh questions. Her mentioning his feelings for 'Vader' was definitely hinting at her knowing the truth, but there was still a chance she was thinking about something else…After all, he did feel his father's presence nearby, so chances were he'd been the one to bring him to this place, whatever it was. Maybe that was where the woman's dislike came from: she had seen him with Vader, she probably believed he was one of his supporters…

No. That would be too easy. Luke had a hunch there was a lot more to her than what she'd let him see so far. "I don't work for him, nor with him, and I don't even know what his ideology is today…" He said slowly. He was still feeling very, very tired, and he was hurting everywhere. He wasn't sure he wouldn't end up mentioning something private or an Alliance secret by accident if this woman kept her interrogation up. The only way to counteract this interrogation was to reverse the roles and be the one to ask the questions.

"Can you please tell me who you are and where we are?"

He sensed her hesitation and was grateful for the moment to collect his thoughts. Despite his attempts to hide it, Luke knew his exhaustion was obvious. So he patiently waited for her response, watching her closely, hoping to find in her demeanour answers he knew she wouldn't freely give.

"You are in an infirmary on Naboo. That is all you need to know."

Luke furrowed his brow in confusion, before he asked again politely:

"I understand, but can I at least learn your name?"

He almost felt her bristle to his simple question and he couldn't help but wonder why. Yet, despite the tension that seemed to radiate from her small form, the woman did answer.

"My name is Sabé. I am the head of security here," she stated. Luke nodded slightly in response. Her words were simple and direct, leaving no doubt to the underlying message: she was in charge here, and she would be watching him. Closely. The realization seemed to add to his exhaustion and Luke briefly closed his eyes. He wondered how his father was doing. Had she interrogated him in this manner as well? He imagined she was far more harsh and certainly less forgiving.

"You must understand Luke, these are tumultuous times."

Sabé's voice drew the young Jedi from his thoughts, and he sensed her temperament had eased slightly. Though she remained stoic, Luke could almost read the confusion and… guilt? That lied beneath her harsh façade.

However, her carefully chosen words solidified his doubts about the simplicity of this situation. She definitely knew far more then she let on; how much more, he couldn't say. A silence rested between them as the tension continued to build. He knew she could certainly take advantage of this situation and his weakened state to find out what she sought to know. Yet, to his surprise and relief, the oddly familiar woman before him didn't; instead she quietly rose to her feet. Luke sensed her confusion was rapidly growing. It was as though she was torn between duty and something more personal.

Even if he couldn't pick up any other hint or clue about Sabé's identity, this alone spoke volumes. There had to be a connection between his interrogator and his mother; that much he was certain. If only his body would permit him to think it over, he would attempt to make sense of it. But between the pain of his lingering wounds and the overpowering need to rest, he found it nearly impossible to stay focused.

As Sabé neared the door to leave, she paused, permitting her eyes fall onto him once more. Returning her gaze, the young Jedi could feel her scrutinizing him as her anger and hate began to grow anew, replacing the division he felt from Sabé only a short time ago. However, he soon realized it wasn't directed at him, but towards his father and the events that had taken them to her. Yet despite what he could sense stirring in her soul, Sabe seemed to hide behind a stoic mask which she wore only too well. Sighing softly, the woman before him went silent, as though she finally realized her attempts to question him further wouldn't wield any decent results. At least not for now.

"Rest now; we will continue this discussion later, she said simply, once more carefully hiding her frustration as she gave Luke the same bittersweet smile he had seen only a short moment ago. Only this time, the underlying frustration and division were evident in her eyes. Unsure how to respond and wanting nothing more than to just rest, Luke quietly nodded. He watched in silence as the elegantly poised woman slipped out the door without another word, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He knew without a doubt this mysterious woman was sure to return soon.


End file.
